Social work overhaul pays dividends in Aberdeen

The number of youngsters on the at-risk register in Aberdeen has plunged to its lowest level for a decade, it emerged last night.

A new report has revealed that an overhaul of the city’s social work service has led to a “steady fall” in the number of child-protection registrations since last September.

The city council’s social work director, Fred McBride, indicated that the number was previously far higher than the national average because staff were “risk averse” and lacked “strong leadership”.

He added that registrations peaked after the death of London toddler Baby P because social workers in the city were “influenced” by the public’s furious reaction.

The 119 children currently on the register represents a 10-year low, with the fall said to be clearly linked to the restructuring of the service.

Aberdeen City Council had no single social work department or director before the local authority was the subject of three scathing inspection reports in 2008.

Mr McBride, who was in charge of children’s services in Dundee when toddler Brandon Muir died, took up post in Aberdeen a year ago.

In his annual report, the director said: “The consistent reduction in the number of children being placed on the child-protection register follows a period where registrations were high, much higher than the national average, indicating that practitioners may have been risk averse in their practice.

“One possible reason for this could be the lack of a single social work service which provided strong leadership and governance in child protection, alongside a prolonged period of change following negative external inspection.

“This high rate of registrations peaked just after the death of Baby P, when practitioners may have been unwilling to manage risk without placing the child’s name on the child protection register.

“Practitioners were aware of the public outcry against child-protection practitioners in the media, and this may have influenced some of the decision-making.”

Between April 2009 and March 2010, 190 children were placed on the register, while 250 children were taken off.

Of the 119 youngsters on the register 67% had suffered physical neglect, 45% emotional abuse, 18% physical injury and 12% sexual abuse.

Mr McBride said it was “unlikely” that child-protection registrations would continue to fall, but they were expected remain consistent in the future.

His report will be discussed by members of the social work committee next week.

Committee convener Jim Kiddie said: “It is hugely encouraging. I think everyone has been working very hard in terms of child protection.”